Method for diesel particulate filter regeneration in a vehicle equipped with a hybrid engine background of the invention

ABSTRACT

The method for regeneration of a diesel particulate filter of a vehicle equipped with a hybrid engine, wherein the temperature of the exhaust exiting the diesel engine is increased above a predetermined level by increasing load thereon, through optimization of interaction between the diesel particulate filter aftertreatment system and the hybrid engine control through messaging via a communication bus is disclosed. The load on the engine may be increased with or without the assistance of the electric motor/generator of the hybrid engine, and will not affect required acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for diesel particulate filter regeneration. More specifically, the method relates to diesel particulate filter regeneration in a vehicle equipped with a hybrid engine.

2. Prior Art

There is no known prior art related to this method for diesel particulate filter regeneration in a vehicle equipped with a hybrid engine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a method for regeneration of a diesel particulate filter of a vehicle equipped with a hybrid engine, wherein the temperature of the exhaust exiting the diesel engine is increased above a predetermined level by increasing load on the diesel engine when regeneration is required, through optimization of interaction between the diesel particulate filter aftertreatment system and the hybrid engine control through messaging via a communication bus. The load on the engine may be increased with or without the assistance of the electric motor of the hybrid engine and will not affect accelerator/deceleration of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 presents a logic flow diagram of the steps of the method of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1 in greater detail, the method of the present invention provides a solution for particulate filter regeneration in a vehicle provided with a hybrid engine and involves messaging over a communication bus to indicate that regeneration is required. Such messaging will ultimately increase or maintain the load on the engine allowing for increase or maintenance of exhaust temperature required for regeneration.

The diesel particulate filter (DPF) requires regeneration as filter flow is reduced due to soot build up within the filter. During normal operating conditions, a hybrid engine, which shares the load between a diesel engine and an electric motor/generator, may not always produce exhaust temperatures hot enough to accomplish regeneration of the DPF. The method of the present invention will request that the electric motor/generator act as a generator and apply load to the diesel engine during regeneration in order to rapidly increase exhaust temperatures required for regeneration, if the battery pack of the vehicle is below maximum charge, which will result in a decrease in time required to regenerate the diesel particulate filter. If, on the other hand, the charge on the battery pack is at maximum, the logic will shut down the electric motor/generator until regeneration is no longer necessary, and the load will be completely transferred to the diesel engine, the method optimizing interactions between the DPF aftertreatment system and the hybrid motor control (ECM). If the battery pack is at a maximum and the after treatment system is equipped with a resistive element. That heating element can be activated thereby heating the feedstream gas to the after treatment inlet and providing a uniform load on the engine. The affect will be to maintain maximum battery charge and reduce the duration of the regeneration event and associated emissions.

It will be understood that the regeneration is accomplished by getting the exhaust temperature hot enough, long enough to burn off the soot that has accumulated in the filter. The higher the load on the diesel engine, the hotter the exhaust and the faster the filter is cleared. The addition of an optional heating element can promote this action during initial heating phase.

It will further be understood that when the vehicle is equipped with such hybrid motor, and the electric motor/generator is assisting the diesel engine in motor mode, load is taken away from the engine because the electric motor/generator thereof is “sharing” the load with the diesel engine.

It will be further understood that the method sends and receives information or data via a communication bus.

An overview and explanation of what occurs are found in the flowchart of FIG. 1 and as set forth below.

Step 1. The logic of the method of the present invention starts. Step 2. The logic first determines if the vehicle is equipped with a hybrid power train. If not, the logic moves on to Step 3. If so, the logic moves on to Step 4A. Step 3. The logic ends. It will be understood that each time the logic ends within this scheme, the engine reverts to its hybrid configuration, with the electric motor sharing the load with the diesel engine, as necessary. Step 4A. The logic next checks to see if a regeneration of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is needed. The determination is based on sensing for a pressure drop across the DPF continually at Step 4B. It will be understood that, as the filter accumulates soot, the passages there through become plugged, producing a pressure drop, due to a restriction in through flow. When the sensed pressure drop becomes greater than a threshold, a flag is set at Step 4B indicating that regeneration of the DPF is required. If no flag is set, the logic moves on to Step 5. If the flag is set, the logic moves on to Step 6A. Step 5. The logic ends. Step 6A. Here the logic determines if the load factor on the diesel engine is below a critical threshold for DPF regeneration from a sensing of the instantaneous load factor at Step 6B. If not, the logic proceeds to Step 7. If so, it will be understood that the exhaust will not get hot enough to clean the DPF and the logic proceeds to Step 8A. Step 7. The logic ends. Step 8A. Once it is determined that the load factor on the diesel engine is below the critical level, the logic determines the state of charge on the battery pack that is connected to the electric motor/generator of the hybrid engine from sensing the state of battery charge at Step 8B. If the battery pack is at full charge, the electric motor/generator cannot be used as a generator because the battery pack will be damaged by overcharging thereof and the logic proceeds to Step 9. If the charge on the battery pack is below full charge, the logic proceeds to Step 10A. Step 9. The logic causes the electric motor/generator to be disabled and the additional load previously shared by the electric motor is returned to the diesel engine to produce a load factor over the critical threshold, the vehicle reverting to a “non-hybrid”, diesel engine configuration while the regeneration of the DPF is occurring to ensure the load factor stays above the critical threshold for such regeneration. If the electric motor/generator is disabled, the logic intermittently moves on to Step 14. Step 10A. If the battery pack is not at maximum charge, the electric motor/generator is utilized as a generator to charge the battery pack at Step 10C and to apply an additional load to the diesel engine by commanding the electric motor/generator on, which causes the electric motor/generator to absorb torque from the diesel engine, creating a “torque error” as sensed at Step 10B, and the logic moves on to Step 11A. Step 11A. At this step, the logic computes the torque output of the diesel engine from an input of the DDT at Step 11B and an input of the torque absorbed by the electric motor/generator, acting as a generator, at Step 11C, by subtracting the absorbed torque input (negative torque) from the DDT input, to obtain a higher value, which higher value of diesel engine torque must be decreased to maintain the DDT at the required level. The logic then moves on to Step 11D. Step 11D. Here the “extra” torque required as calculated at Step 11A, to maintain the Driver's Demand Torque (DDT) constant is output to the engine control module (ECM) The logic moves on to Step 12. Step 12. The load on the diesel engine is increased by the amount the electric motor/generator is absorbing there from, as determined at Step 11D, to maintain the Driver's Demand Torque (DDT) constant and the logic moves on to Step 13. Step 13A. If Drive Train Torque (DTT) equals Driver's Demand Torque (DDT) (DTT=DDT) as determined from a sensing of DDT at Step 13B and DTT at Step 13C, then nothing need change and the logic circles back to Point 2. Alternatively, if DTT does not equal DDT, the logic circles back to Point 1, as the method needs to be stepped through again to determine what has changed. Step 14. Here, as follows Step 9 described above, when the electric motor/generator has been disabled, the logic polls the PDF regeneration required input intermittently to see if regeneration is still required. If so, the logic returns to Point 1. If not, the logic moves on to Step 15. Step 15. The logic commands the electric motor/generator to turn back on and the logic moves on to Step 16. Step 16. The logic ends.

As described above, the method of the present invention provides a number of advantages, some of which have been described above and others of which are inherent in the invention. Also, modifications may be proposed to the method without departing from the teachings herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims. 

1. A method for regeneration of a diesel particulate filter of a vehicle comprising the steps of: determining if a hybrid engine comprising a diesel engine in combination with an electric motor/generator, is present, and if so; determining if regeneration of the diesel particulate filter is necessary, and if so; determining if the torque on the diesel engine is sufficient to produce a temperature of the exhaust passing through the filter sufficiently high for a sufficient period of time to clear the filter of particulate matter therein; and if not; increasing the load on the diesel engine by increasing torque placed thereon to produce a sufficiently high temperature of exhaust for a sufficient period of time to clear the filter without affecting vehicle motion.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electric motor/generator of the hybrid engine is used to increase load on the diesel engine.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electric motor/generator of the hybrid engine is not used to increase load on the diesel engine.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the electric motor/generator is operated as a generator to apply charge to a battery pack of the vehicle when the charge on the battery pack is below maximum level.
 5. The method of claim 3 wherein the electric motor/generator is disabled when a battery pack of the vehicle is at a maximum level of charge, or converted into thermal energy which can be used to supplement the thermal regeneration of the DPF
 6. The method of claim 4 wherein the load absorbed from the diesel engine by the electric motor/generator when operating as a generator is a negative load, as relates to not affecting required motion.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein load on the diesel engine is increased by an amount equal to the load absorbed by the electric motor/generator when operating as a generator to not affect required vehicle motion.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein in the steps are carried out via a communication bus.
 9. The method of claim 3 wherein the electric motor/generator is disabled during diesel particulate filter regeneration.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the electric motor/generator is enabled once diesel particulate filter regeneration is completed.
 11. The method of claim 2 wherein the diesel engine control module increases load on the diesel engine in an amount equal to the amount of load subtracted therefrom by operation of the electric motor/generator as a generator, in order to maintain drive train torque at an amount equal to an amount of driver demand torque so as not to affect required motion of the vehicle.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the amount of increased diesel engine load, when set equal to the amount of load subtracted from the diesel engine through operation of the electric motor/generator as a generator, produces a net zero effect on operation of the vehicle.
 13. The method of claim 1 wherein, if it is determined that a hybrid engine is not present, the method ends.
 14. A method for regeneration of a diesel particulate filter of a vehicle equipped with a hybrid engine comprising a diesel engine in combination with an electric motor/generator, comprising the steps of: determining if regeneration of the diesel particulate filter is necessary, and if so; determining if the torque on the diesel engine is sufficient to produce a temperature of the exhaust passing through the filter sufficiently high for a sufficient period of time to clear the filter of particulate matter therein; and if not; increasing the load on the diesel engine by increasing torque placed thereon to equally offset load subtracted therefrom by operation of the electric motor/generator in generator mode to produce a sufficiently high temperature of exhaust for a sufficient period of time to clear the filter without affecting vehicle motion. 